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States That Produce the Most Renewable Energy

renewable energy

States That Produce the Most Renewable Energy

Since President Joe Biden and a new Congress took office earlier this year, federal policymakers have been working to speed up the U.S. transition to clean and renewable energy sources. One of Biden’s first actions in office was to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, the 2016 agreement in which countries pledged to significantly reduce their CO2 emissions. The Biden Administration followed this up with aggressive carbon reduction targets and the American Jobs Plan proposal, which includes provisions to modernize the power grid, incentivize clean energy generation, and create more jobs in the energy sector. Much of Biden’s agenda builds on prior proposals like the Green New Deal, which would achieve emissions reductions and create jobs through investments in clean energy production and energy-efficient infrastructure upgrades.

 


The transition to renewables has taken on greater urgency in recent years with the worsening effects of climate change. Carbon emissions from non-renewable sources like coal, oil, and natural gas are one of the primary factors contributing to the warming of the atmosphere, and climate experts project that to limit warming, renewable energy must supply 70 to 85% of electricity by midcentury.

Renewable energy still represents less than a quarter of total annual electricity generation in the U.S., but the good news is that renewable energy has been responsible for a steadily increasing share of electricity generation over the past decade. Most of the upward trajectory comes from exponential growth in the production of solar and wind power. In 1990, solar power generated only 367,087 megawatt-hours of electricity, while wind power was responsible for 2,788,600 megawatt-hours. Since then, technological improvements and public investment in wind and solar helped lower costs and make them viable competitors to non-renewable sources. By 2020, solar production had reached 89,198,715 megawatt-hours, while wind produced 337,938,049 megawatt-hours of electricity.

But this evolution is uneven across the U.S., a product of differences in states’ economies, public policy toward renewables, and perhaps most importantly, geographic features. Even among states that lead in renewable energy production, these factors contribute to different mixes of renewable sources. For instance, Texas—the nation’s top producer of renewable energy—generates most of its renewable electricity from wind turbines. Runner-up Washington and fourth-place Oregon take advantage of large rivers in the Pacific Northwest to generate more hydroelectric power than any other state. And California, which is third in total renewable production, has been a long-time leader in solar energy thanks in part to an abundance of direct sunlight.

Meanwhile, states that lag behind in renewable generation include several states without the size or geographic features to scale up production, like Delaware, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, along with states whose economies are more traditionally dependent on fossil fuels, like Mississippi and Alaska.

To determine the states producing the most renewable energy, researchers at Commodity.com used data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration to calculate the percentage of total electricity generated from renewable sources. Renewable energy sources include wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and hydroelectric. In the event of a tie, the state with the greater five-year growth in renewable electricity production, between 2015 and 2020, was ranked higher.

Here are the states that produce the most renewable energy.

State
Rank
Percentage of electricity generated from renewables
5-year change in renewable electricity production
Total electricity generated from renewables (MWh)
Largest renewable energy source
Vermont    1     99.9% +9.0% 2,155,177 Hydroelectric Conventional
South Dakota    2     80.5% +55.0% 11,388,457 Hydroelectric Conventional
Maine    3     76.7% -1.7% 7,674,956 Hydroelectric Conventional
Idaho    4     76.1% +15.0% 13,456,149 Hydroelectric Conventional
Washington    5     75.0% +5.6% 87,109,288 Hydroelectric Conventional
Oregon    6     67.5% +9.5% 42,928,468 Hydroelectric Conventional
Iowa    7     59.4% +85.6% 35,437,099 Wind
Montana    8     59.4% +16.8% 13,872,119 Hydroelectric Conventional
Kansas    9     44.2% +117.6% 24,117,519 Wind
California    10     42.6% +38.9% 82,239,832 Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic
Oklahoma    11     39.7% +91.9% 32,687,539 Wind
North Dakota    12     38.1% +87.0% 16,084,768 Wind
Colorado    13     30.9% +77.4% 16,724,964 Wind
Alaska    14     30.8% +8.3% 1,931,545 Hydroelectric Conventional
Nebraska    15     28.9% +115.7% 10,648,740 Wind
United States    –     19.5% +43.9% 783,003,365 Wind

 

For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Commodity.com’s website: https://commodity.com/blog/states-renewable-energy/

genset

Commercial Gensets Market: Top Regional Factors Augmenting the Industry Forecast 2027

The global commercial gensets market size is poised to expand at substantial CAGR during the forecast period as the need for a reliable and infallible power supply has been towering amidst the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Apart from an alarming increase in the frequency of natural disasters, several parts of the world are facing unpredictable weather.

This has left hospitals, clinics, laboratories, offices, department and medical stores, and shopping complexes dealing with the persistent problem of power failure. As these commercial spaces have been seeking effective power backup solutions to mitigate losses, the market for hybrid generator sets, electric generator sets, and gas generator sets is likely to see considerable growth through the forthcoming years.

The following eight factors have been pushing the global commercial gensets market forecast:

Low up-front costs of diesel commercial generator sets

Thanks to the need to invest a lesser amount when compared with electric or hybrid generator sets, the deployment of diesel commercial generator sets has been rising across the commercial sphere in Asia. By 2027, APAC commercial gensets market share will have gained considerably owing to their weather-independent, flexible, and scalable operations. As diesel is an easily available fuel even in underdeveloped areas of the emerging economies, diesel commercial gensets appear to be an ideal solution for end-users who want to achieve higher productivity at lower costs.

330 kVA – 750 kVA rated generator sets across Asia

330 kVA – 750 kVA rated commercial generator segment is expected to see substantial growth through 2026, on account of the ability of these solutions to ensure a constant power supply during power failures and interruptions, preventing massive losses. Hospitals, hotels, telecom towers, educational institutes, and construction sites find these generator sets suitable due to their compact designs and superior power density.

Asia Pacific commercial gensets market might also benefit from the rising funding from private and local entities, who have been looking for robust machinery and equipment to address the need for an uninterrupted electricity supply.

Favorable government policies in India

With favorable government policies backing the fast-paced infrastructural activities in the region, the Indian market is likely to contribute consistently toward the overall Asia Pacific commercial gensets industry share through 2027. The booming telecom industry has been pushing the market. For instance, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Indian subcontinent saw over 1,171.80 million telephone subscriptions as of October 2020. The development of several smart cities across the country is paving the way for further growth.

Work from home trend to accelerate demand

The North America commercial gensets market size is expected to grow steadily since several private as well as federal government employees have been working remotely owing to the focus toward curbing the spread of COVID-19 infection, constant power supply has become more crucial than ever. Heavy losses can be incurred due to power cuts. Moreover, as natural disasters including hurricanes have been hampering electricity supply more frequently, 50-125 kVA rated gensets are likely to see higher adoption across enterprises, cafeterias, shared workspaces, and home offices alike.

Reopening of commercial spaces in North America

As several regions are recording a lesser number of COVID-19 cases, the reopening of shopping malls, cinema halls, public libraries, offices, and showrooms is expected to trigger demand across North America’s commercial gensets industry forecast. The travel industry particularly has been recovering from the coronavirus fast this summer. As domestic flights resume, airports and hotels might see more product adoption. The vaccine rollout has revived numerous industries, who have been seeking to recover from financial losses by installing technologically advanced equipment.

Rising infrastructure investments toward healthcare in Europe

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the fortification of the healthcare infrastructure, with the EU, governments, and private organizations focusing on optimum digitalization. As Europe has been facing a rising number of COVID-19 cases, the need for advanced solutions such as advanced monitoring and smart control systems across healthcare facilities has been spiraling. The surging geriatric population coupled with the adoption of IoT-enabled devices across hospitals and laboratories is fueling Europe commercial gensets market forecast.

Growing demand from European agriculture sector

As the agriculture sector is undergoing considerable transformation for the last few years, modern farmers are more inclined to install effective power backup solutions than ever before. Manual farming techniques are replaced with mechanized practices, which has increased the dependence on machines and ultimately, electricity. Thus, for the modern farmer, absence of uninterrupted electricity means lower productivity. Consequently, Europe commercial gensets industry forecast is set to gain from the thriving animal husbandry and agriculture sector in the region.

Benefits of gas-powered commercial gensets

With the European Union promoting the use of clean energy fuels in collaboration with several regional governments, the adoption of gas-powered commercial gensets is likely to soar through the next five years. These gensets are not only environmentally compliant due to their lower carbon footprint, but also cost-efficient. They have a high lifespan and a reliable performance. Simultaneously, Europe commercial gensets market outlook can benefit from the trend of installing ecofriendly, gaseous powered equipment across the industrial sector in the region.

Some of the leading commercial gensets manufactures and suppliers in the global market include Kirloskar Oil Engine, SDMO, Powermax, Mahindra Powerol, Powerica, Yamaha Corporation, Cummins, Mitsubishi Power, Kohler, Ingersoll Rand, Siemens, Caterpillar, Siemens, and Generac Holdings.

electricity

States With the Most (and Least) Expensive Electricity

When an extreme winter storm tore through Texas earlier in 2021, the widespread power outages that followed put a microscope on how electricity is produced and generated. A state that prides itself on its critical role in the energy economy—both as a source of traditional fossil fuel energy sources like oil and a growing hotspot for renewables like wind and solar—had its electric grid completely crippled for days. Stories emerged of customers being billed thousands of dollars for using the state’s limited supply of electricity in the storm’s aftermath. The situation became a flashpoint for a longer-running debate in the state (and beyond) over whether renewables or fossil fuels were a more dependable source of energy.

Despite the renewed political back and forth over energy production in the wake of the Texas storm, the overall trends in the U.S. energy sector are undeniable: renewables will be the fastest-growing contributor to electricity production in the U.S. in the decades to come. Government incentives and technological advancements in the renewable sector have lowered costs and improved reliability in recent years, and low costs will spur increased adoption of the newer technologies.

Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration show that renewables currently represent around 21% of electricity generated in the U.S. By 2050, that figure is expected to double. Meanwhile, natural gas will decline slightly from 40% to 36% of electricity production over the same span. And the respective shares of electricity generated from nuclear and coal will be nearly cut in half.

The increased use of renewable sources will also pass on savings to consumers. The cost of electricity is also projected to decline in the next three decades, albeit gradually. The 2021 cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour currently averages around 10.5 cents across all sectors; that number will drop to 9.6 cents by 2050. And this trend will not be limited to any one sector: cost projections for electricity in the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors all show the same downward trend. Customers can expect to see a reduction in retail prices across the energy sector spectrum as the cost of electricity generation declines.

Some parts of the country could feel more of the benefit than others as costs decline. By one measure—average monthly residential electricity bill—most of those beneficiaries will be in the Southeastern U.S. The main factor driving costs in the Southeast is the greater use of electricity throughout the year compared to other regions. Warmer weather in the summer means high bills from air conditioning, and in the winter, Southeastern households are more likely to heat their homes with electricity than with other sources like natural gas or fuel oil. While these factors suggest that consumption levels will remain high, customers in the Southeast will benefit from electricity’s lower unit costs.

Another way to evaluate the different costs between states is to look at the average per kilowatt-hour cost of electricity across all sectors. On this measure, one of the key factors driving disparities between states is whether the state must import fuel or energy to supply their electricity. The most expensive states include the geographically remote Hawaii and Alaska, along with New England states that have largely retired old coal and nuclear facilities in recent years and rely on imported natural gas for electricity. In contrast, states, where electricity prices across sectors are cheap, tend to have nearby resources for electricity production, whether that be natural gas, coal, or a strong renewables sector.

To find the states with the most and least expensive electricity, researchers at Porch used information from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and ranked states based on the average electricity price for all sectors in cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). In the event of a tie, the state with the greater residential price for electricity was ranked higher.

Here are the states with the most and least expensive electricity.

States With the Most Expensive Electricity

State Rank Average electricity price for all sectors Residential price Average monthly residential bill Average monthly consumption

 

Hawaii 1 28.72¢ per kWh 32.06¢ per kWh $168.21 525 kWh
Alaska 2 20.22¢ per kWh 22.92¢ per kWh $127.29 555 kWh
Connecticut 3 18.66¢ per kWh 21.87¢ per kWh $150.71 689 kWh
Rhode Island 4 18.49¢ per kWh 21.73¢ per kWh $121.62 560 kWh
Massachusetts 5 18.40¢ per kWh 21.92¢ per kWh $125.89 574 kWh
New Hampshire 6 17.15¢ per kWh 20.05¢ per kWh $120.04 599 kWh
California 7 16.89¢ per kWh 19.15¢ per kWh $101.92 532 kWh
Vermont 8 15.36¢ per kWh 17.71¢ per kWh $97.18 549 kWh
New York 9 14.34¢ per kWh 17.94¢ per kWh $103.60 577 kWh
Maine 10 14.04¢ per kWh 17.89¢ per kWh $100.53 562 kWh
United States 10.54¢ per kWh 13.01¢ per kWh $115.49 887 kWh

 

States With the Least Expensive Electricity

State Rank Average electricity price for all sectors Residential price Average monthly residential bill Average monthly consumption

 

Louisiana 1 7.71¢ per kWh 9.80¢ per kWh $120.70 1,232 kWh
Oklahoma 2 7.86¢ per kWh 10.21¢ per kWh $113.93 1,116 kWh
Idaho 3 7.89¢ per kWh 9.89¢ per kWh $93.83 949 kWh
Washington 4 8.04¢ per kWh 9.71¢ per kWh $94.49 973 kWh
Wyoming 5 8.10¢ per kWh 11.18¢ per kWh $96.53 864 kWh
Arkansas 6 8.22¢ per kWh 9.80¢ per kWh $109.46 1,118 kWh
Utah 7 8.24¢ per kWh 10.40¢ per kWh $75.63 727 kWh
West Virginia 8 8.49¢ per kWh 11.25¢ per kWh $121.90 1,084 kWh
Texas 9 8.60¢ per kWh 11.76¢ per kWh $134.07 1,140 kWh
Kentucky 10 8.61¢ per kWh 10.80¢ per kWh $120.08 1,112 kWh
United States 10.54¢ per kWh 13.01¢ per kWh $115.49 887 kWh

 

For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Porch’s website: https://porch.com/advice/states-with-the-most-least-expensive-electricity

renewable energy

States With the Largest Increase in Renewable Energy Production

One of the most significant trends over the last decade for the economy, society, geopolitics, and the environment has been the rise of renewable energy. Fossil fuels have been the basis of the industrial economy for generations, powering tremendous economic growth but with dangerous consequences for the environment and public health. With the dramatic expansion of renewable energy technologies over the last decade, power sources like wind, solar, and geothermal have offered a more sustainable—and increasingly more affordable—path forward.

Several factors contribute to the expansion of clean energy. For one, technological advancement in renewables has made energy production and storage more efficient than ever before. The renewables industry has also received a boost from public policies and investments enacted by governments worldwide seeking to decarbonize in response to the threat of climate change. These developments have helped bring down renewable energy production costs over time, allowing market forces to spur continued growth in the sector. In all, electric power generated from renewables in the U.S. has grown by more than 70 percent since 2010.

And although growth is occurring across many renewable sources, wind and solar have been the most prominent success stories of recent years. In 2007, wind accounted for about 35 million Megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity produced in the U.S.; since then, wind production has increased by an average of around 20 million MWh per year, rising to nearly 295 million in 2019. Meanwhile, solar is the fastest-growing of all renewables. Solar production constituted less than 1 percent of renewable energy until around 2010, but experts now project that by 2050, solar and photovoltaic energy will account for nearly half of all renewable electricity production.


Growth in renewable energy production in the U.S. is widespread, but unique features of each region mean that the transition to renewables looks different from state to state. Measured by the proportion of total electricity generated from renewable sources, states in New England and the Western U.S. surpass the rest of the country, largely as a result of renewable-friendly state policies. Vermont generates a remarkable 99.9 percent of its electricity from renewables.

In terms of total electricity produced from renewables, California (97 million MWh), Texas (91 million MWh), and Washington (74 million MWh) are the national leaders. Physical geography explains much of these three states’ strength in renewables. California is the largest producer of geothermal (with the world’s largest geothermal field) and solar (due in part to large installations in the Mojave Desert). With plenty of cheap land and strong wind in many of its regions, Texas dominates the U.S. in wind production. And in Washington, major water features like the Columbia and Snake Rivers provide the basis for the nation’s strongest hydropower sector.

To identify the states with the fastest-growing renewable energy sector, researchers at FilterBuy used data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration to calculate the percentage change in renewable electricity production between 2010 and 2019. The researchers also calculated what percentage of total electricity production is accounted for by renewables, as well as the largest renewable energy source currently.

Here are the states with the largest increase in renewable energy production.

State Rank Percentage change in renewable energy production (2010-2019) Total renewable energy production 2019 (MWh) Total renewable energy production 2010 (MWh) Renewable energy share of total production 2019 Renewable energy share of total production 2010 Largest renewable energy source

 

 

Kansas     1      511.0% 21,218,058 3,472,565 41.7% 7.2% Wind
Nebraska     2      379.7% 8,667,568 1,807,009 23.2% 4.9% Wind
Oklahoma     3      377.6% 33,281,621 6,968,743 39.1% 9.6% Wind
New Mexico     4      310.1% 8,496,851 2,071,802 24.2% 5.7% Wind
Rhode Island     5      228.5% 472,344 143,779 6.2% 1.9% Biomass
Texas     6      213.9% 90,922,198 28,966,660 18.8% 7.0% Wind
Ohio     7      189.8% 3,272,411 1,129,113 2.7% 0.8% Wind
Utah     8      188.6% 4,261,269 1,476,479 10.9% 3.5% Solar
Illinois     9      186.4% 15,057,518 5,256,702 8.2% 2.6% Wind
Colorado     10      173.6% 14,043,640 5,132,797 24.9% 10.1% Wind
Iowa     11      155.7% 26,356,275 10,308,651 42.7% 17.9% Wind
Nevada     12      155.3% 11,345,373 4,443,943 28.4% 12.6% Solar
North Carolina     13      144.3% 16,709,383 6,839,691 12.7% 5.3% Solar
Michigan     14      143.3% 9,932,713 4,083,005 8.5% 3.7% Wind
North Dakota     15      134.0% 14,392,502 6,150,146 35.0% 17.7% Wind
United States     –      70.3% 727,696,543 427,376,077 17.6% 10.4% Wind

 

For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Filterbuy’s website: https://filterbuy.com/resources/states-largest-increase-renewable-energy/

electric

The Global Electric Generator Market to Seek New Balance Between the Pandemic, Cheaper Oil, And the Demand for Alternative Energy

IndexBox has just published a new report: ‘World – Electric Generating Sets And Rotary Converters – Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights’. Here is a summary of the report’s key findings.

The Increased Demand for Autonomous Electricity Supply for Business, Industrial Facilities, and IT Infrastructure Buoys Electric Generator Market

In 2019, the global market for electric generating sets and rotary converters was finally on the rise to reach $58.4B after two years of decline. Electric generating sets and rotary converters are equipment that is used for primary power generation and also serves as backup power supplies for infrastructure and residential buildings.

The key factors in the demand for generators are the growing demand for electricity, insufficient electrical infrastructure, especially in areas far from large cities, the need to provide a guaranteed power supply with a stable voltage, as well as backup power to important infrastructure facilities (hospitals, government agencies, business centers, airports, train stations, etc.) and technical equipment (communication towers, data centers, industrial enterprises, etc.).

In value terms, the largest electric generating set and rotary converter markets worldwide were the UK ($3.1B), China ($2.8B), and Russia ($2B), together comprising 14% of the global market (IndexBox estimates). Brazil, the U.S., India, Indonesia, Turkey, Japan, Nigeria, South Korea, and Angola lagged somewhat behind, together comprising a further 15%. The leadership of the UK in value terms is largely attributed to the high demand for wind generators in the country – such units are large, rather expensive, and their quantity is much less than, for example, portable gasoline generators.

In 2019, the highest levels of per capita consumption of electric generating sets and rotary converters were registered in Angola (30 units per 1000 persons), followed by South Korea (8.23 units per 1000 persons), Japan (7.40 units per 1000 persons), and Russia (6.79 units per 1000 persons), while the world average per capita consumption of electric generating set and rotary converter was estimated at 2.92 units per 1000 persons.

Since industrial and other high capacity generators constitute expensive equipment, their installation and use correspond with capital investments against the background of the general growth of industry and trade. The dynamics of construction also directly affects the generator market: business centers, retail outlets, infrastructure, and social facilities are increasingly being equipped with backup generator sets, while residential construction is driving the demand for portable generators for private homes, which are usually purchased in case of power outages.

Another fundamental factor of market growth is the growth of the IT sector, as well as the telecommunications sector: the coverage of the countries of the world with wireless networks and mobile Internet is increasing, the infrastructure for which requires a stable power supply.

The development of electric transport (especially electric vehicles) will require the creation of a large-scale network of charging stations, which may increase the demand for generators (local generators can become auxiliary or even the main sources of energy for charging stations in hard-to-reach areas).

The Pandemic Hampers Business Investment But Promotes the Equipment of Medical Facilities and the Demand for Portable Generators

In view of the above, the dynamics of the electric generating sets and rotary converters market as a whole reflects the overall GDP growth. In early 2020, the global economy entered a period of the crisis caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to battle the spread of the virus, most countries in the world implemented quarantine measures that put on halt production and transport activity.

The combination of those factors disrupts economic growth heavily throughout the world. According to World Bank forecasts, despite the gradual relaxing of restrictive measures and unprecedented government support in countries that faced the pandemic in early 2020, the annual decline of global GDP could amount to -5.2%, which is the deepest global recession being seen over the past eight decades.

In Asian countries, especially China, which faced the pandemic earlier than others, the epidemic situation improved earlier, with the quarantine measures largely relaxed, and the economy is gradually recovering from the forced outage. Thus, in China, by the end of 2020, an increase of 1% is expected (while a year earlier it was 6.1%), and in general in Southeast Asia in 2020, an increase of 0.5% is expected. In the medium term, it is assumed that the economy will gradually recover over several years as the restrictions are finally lifted. The U.S., meanwhile, is struggling with a drastic short-term recession, with the expected contraction of GDP of approx. -6.1% in 2020, as the hit of the pandemic was harder than expected, and unemployment soared due to the shutdown and social isolation.

The industrial sector has proven vulnerable to the pandemic as due to quarantine measures, industrial facilities may be stopped, and the drop in incomes of the population makes the growth of end markets unfeasible, thereby hampering any expansion of the industrial manufacturing. Thus, the above economic prerequisites will have a negative impact on the establishment of new industrial facilities and put a drag on market recovery.

On the other hand, measures to mobilize the medical system and equip temporary COVID hospitals required the use of a large number of generators. At the same time, in the second half of 2020, the effect of this factor may fade out against the background of the gradual weakening of the pandemic and the removal of social isolation.

In the wind energy segment, which comprises the global exports of $6.1B in 2019, an additional factor is also favorable government policy worldwide. Increased attention to environmental issues and the political goal of reducing the “carbon load” will increase the demand for generators on alternative energy sources, in particular, for wind turbines.

As for portable generators, the additional demand could be found in those countries with a lack of stale centralized electricity supply e.g., in many African countries. Furthermore, lower oil prices as a result of reduced demand and oversupply amid the pandemic are making oil and gas more affordable. Consequently, the cost of electricity that is generated by the fossil-fuel-based equipment is reduced, which contributes to the growth of the use for electric generating sets and rotary converters. The increasing social anxiety, as well as the continuing threat of isolation due to the virus, could lead to the purchase of portable generators for future use in case of power outages in emergency situations.

Taking into account the above, it is expected that in 2020 and the next few years, global consumption of electric generating sets and rotary converters should decline somewhat against 2019. In the medium term, as the global economy recovers from the effects of the pandemic, the market is expected to grow gradually. Overall, market performance is forecast to pursue a slightly upward trend over the next decade, expanding with an anticipated CAGR of +0.9% for the period from 2019 to 2030, which is projected to bring the market volume to 25M units (IndexBox estimates) by the end of 2030.

Source: IndexBox AI Platform